


(i'll stand for you) right by your side

by bokayjunkie



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Gen, season 6 themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 09:16:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13073823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bokayjunkie/pseuds/bokayjunkie
Summary: tumblr prompt from stardreamer28:  william sees the wheelchair in the closet and wonders what its for OR there's a power outage during a storm, and felicity's implant doesn't work suddenly and william sees oliver helping her and wants to know why





	(i'll stand for you) right by your side

They're safe. At least she thought they were safe.

They're in the comfort of her former loft, now a makeshift office for her business. Felicity is clinging on to William like he might disappear at any moment. Not that the little boy was any better; his clutch on Felicity's jacket is just as tight. 

Felicity opted to come to the loft instead of the bunker after finding out their headquarters has been compromised by Cayden James. However now, it seems like there's nowhere she can hide where that madman can't find her. 

"It doesn't matter what you do because we will come for you." Felicity said with as much confidence she can muster. "And we will stop you."

"Oh, how lovely Ms. Smoak." the voice over the cell phone speaker spoke. "I don't doubt that. But how can you catch me when you can't even walk?"

"What are - ARGH!" 

"Felicity!" William cried as he watches his stepmother drop to the ground in agony.

"Ta ta for now, Ms. Smoak." the line on the phone went dead, however neither William nor Felicity were paying attention.

William is at Felicity's side, panic setting in.

"Felicity what's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, William." Felicity says, though not very convincing as she's wincing after every word. 

"Felicity? William?! What's happening?" a fain yell came across the room.

William looks around and found Felicity's earpiece that must have fallen off when she fell.

"Hello? Dad?" William said after putting it on him.

"William? What's going on? Where's Felicity? I heard her yell, what happened?"

"I don't know what's happening Dad. She was just talking on the phone with that bad man and all of a sudden she fell on to the ground, screaming in pain." At this point, William is crying as he looks back to his stepmother, still immobile.

"William, honey, give me the headset." Felicity managed to say through the pain.

With shaking hands, William hands back the earpiece to her.

"Hello, Oliver?"

"Felicity are you okay?"

"I've been better." she said. "I think Cayden James may have hacked my chip."

"What?!"

"I can't feel my legs."

A slew of curse words escaped his lips.

"Give the piece back to William."

Wordlessly, Felicity hands back the ear piece to her step-son.

"Dad?"

"William, buddy, I need you to do something for me." He said in a hurried tone. "I need you to help Felicity get in her chair."

"What chair?"

"In the front hall closet there's a wheelchair. I need you to unfold it and wheel it back to where Felicity is and help her get on it."

"Okay."

"At the moment, you're gonna have to be her legs buddy. But I promise I'm on my way."

"Okay... Dad I’m scared."

"I know, I know, but you gotta be brave for me, okay? Be brave for Felicity. She needs you, William."

"Okay, okay I will. For Felicity."

"You can do this buddy."

William pulled off the ear piece and looks back at his stepmother. Felicity gave him a watery, encouraging smile, but he can still see the pain in her eyes.

Without giving it any second thoughts, he stood up and rushed to the closet that's near the door. It took a couple of digging through the coats hanging in there, but he finally found the wheelchair that had been folded up. 

It took a bit of struggle getting it out of the closet and unfolding it, but he finally got it moving.

William didn't feel any relaxed until Felicity was finally sitting on the wheelchair and she was moving herself around. 

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay." Felicity said in a comforting tone, looking much better than she had been earlier.

William sat down on a beanbag chair, not even caring that he's sinking in it. He couldn't stop shaking and looking at Felicity.

"You were very brave. I’m so proud of you William."

"What happened?" 

"I..." Felicity paused, trying to find the proper words to say.

On one hand, William's very mature for his age. Besides, despite shaking in panic earlier, he has managed this whole situation very well. On the other, he's still just a child and Felicity already sees him as her son whom she wants to protect at all cost; including stories of her tragic past.

But as he constantly reminds her, he's grown up now and can deal with these types of things. As he's proving right now.

"I can't walk." She says. William looks at her confused. "Well, I mean I can, yeah, but with help of some very advance technology."

"I still don't get it."

"You know how your Uncle Curtis and I are developing this product that can help people with permanent injury?"

"Yeah, by fixing them so if they're legs or arms don't work, you can help make them better."

Felicity nods. "That's what I have right now."

At the realization of her explanation dawns on him, William's eyes start to widen. "You mean...you have a chip on your back too?"

"Yeah." she nods. "Actually, it's the first one that was made. It was made originally for me."

"Why was it made for you? Why can't you walk?"

Felicity let out a sigh. "Because I was hurt. Bad enough that I couldn't walk anymore."

"What?" the revelation shook him. He couldn't even imagine a world where Felicity is hurt.

He's only known her for a year, but in that year, he's gotten really close to his step-mother. She's always so happy and full of optimism, he couldn't imagine that there was ever a time that Felicity had ever faced something sot tragic. 

Of course, he's not naive enough to think that Felicity lives a life without danger or pain. He does know the kind of work she does every night. But he also knows that, with his dad and Uncle Diggle by her side, they will always protect her. 

So, it's a surprise to him to know that something so bad has happened to her. Bad enough that she couldn't walk.

"How did it happen? When did this happen?'

"This was two years ago. It was Damien Darhk."

William gasped hearing the name. He remembers it so vividly. He the man with white hair and sinister smile and his daughter. He was coloring with the girl. He also remembers the Green Arrow coming for him. The first time he ever encountered his father.

"He hurt you?"

Felicity nods.

"And your legs don't work anymore?"

"No. For the longest time I was just like this, in a wheelchair not able to walk." She looks down at her chair with a sad smile. "I was heartbroken, thinking I wouldn't be able to walk down the aisle to your father on our wedding day. But then your Uncle Curtis developed this chip that can help me walk. And it's been helping me ever since."

"But now it's broken?"

"Kind of, yes."

"You said earlier that Cayden person hacked it?"

Felicity nodded. "He's a master hacker, kind of like me. Good enough that he managed to hack the chip in my back to make it stop working."

"So, what's gonna happen to it? Is it broken, broken? Like, you won’t be able to walk anymore."

"It's not broken, broken. But Curtis and I will have to do some re-programming to it. Cayden James shouldn't have been able to access it at all. It's gonna take some serious time to perfect it in a way that no other hacker can mess with it."

"But you still won’t be able to walk."

"Not right now, no."

William pursed his lips, completely hating the idea of Felicity being immobile.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine. I can still do my work when I’m like this."

"But aren't you gonna be in pain? You looked like you were hurting a lot earlier."

"I'm good, kiddo. I'm tough remember."

William still frowns. "You don't have to be tough around me. You shouldn't have to be."

Felicity surprised him by chuckling. "You know you sound so much like your father right now." she says with a kind smile. "And I love that I can be myself with you too. But right now, we don't have time to be vulnerable. We need to fight so Cayden James doesn't get away with this."

"I don't like him. I want Dad to put an arrow through him."

Now it was Felicity's turn to purse her lips. "You shouldn't say things like that, William."

"Why not? He's a bad man who hurt you! Just like that Damien Darhk guy hurt you. Dad put an arrow through him!"

"I know this whole Green Arrow thing is still something you're not use to, but you gotta understand, killing isn't your father's first go to."

"But he hurt you!"

"And I want him to pay, trust me. But there is always another way, William. One where Cayden James will pay for his crimes for a very long time."

William frowns, still not liking the situation they're in. He gets what they're saying, why Felicity isn't as hell bent on revenge towards Cayden James as he is. He also knows, despite his father encountering some of the most ruthless people, the Green Arrow will do the right thing. 

"What do you think Dad will do to that man?"

"We are gonna put Cayden James to justice, so he can face the crimes he's committed."

"Including hurting you?"

"Yes, I’m sure your father will not let him forget that."

"Good."

With that, William pulled himself off the bean bag chair and moves closer to Felicity.

"Come here." Felicity says, pulling him closer.

William willingly sat on her lap and practically curls himself in her arms. Felicity welcomes the affection and hugs him tighter.

As a growing pre-teen, William often reminds her and his father that he's a grown up now and doesn't particularly like over affectionate displays from them. Sometimes, it amuses them, but there are times when Felicity can see that flash of hurt in Oliver's eyes. He's missed so much of William's life growing up so the fact that he refuses these affection disappoints him.

But now, she will definitively take advantage of William's open affection.

Felicity’s never really thought about kids in her future. Sure, there have been a lot of times in the past back when JJ was first born, and Oliver had been so attentive to his nephew, she sometimes gets that fluttery feeling in her stomach. Though it was just a dream she sometimes indulges in, never really thinking it would become any kind of reality. 

Now, with William in her life, she couldn't help but feel her maternal instinct kick in. She loves William and couldn't imagine not having him in her life. She finally understands what her mother went through during her childhood. Either way, there isn't anything in this world that she would trade to keep William safe and happy.

Oliver arrived four minutes later and found them in the exact same position, with William seated on Felicity's lap and the two in a tight embrace. William didn't move an inch, not even when a small thud from Oliver's landing on the balcony or the sound of the door opening and closing stirred him.

It wasn't until his father is right by them, putting a hand on his son's shoulder, that William finally pulled himself up from Felicity's embrace. 

"You did so good buddy." Oliver said, donning on a watery smile. "I'm so proud of you."

"He kept me safe." Felicity added with her own watery smile.

"Yeah but you're still hurt, and that bad man is still out there." William says solemnly.

"And we'll catch him. I promise you William, I'll make sure Cayden James pay for what he's done."

He didn't know how his father can beat a man who literally made his step-mom paralyzed again, but the steely determination on his face made him believe he can do anything. And if there's one thing he's realized about his dad since meeting him, when he's determined to accomplish something, he will do it.

William nodded, and Oliver pulls him in for a kiss on his head before planting a kiss on Felicity's lips.

"We're gonna get through this." Oliver promises in a soft whisper. "We're family. As long as we stick together, we can get through anything."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this. Kudos and comments are always welcome!
> 
> If you want to say hi, or give me a prompt, come to my tumblr: [bokayjunkie](http://bokayjunkie.tumblr.com/)


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